THIS BOOK IS the result of collaboration between the Fundación Nacional para el Desarrollo and La Red de Estudios Sociales en la Prevención de Desastres en América Latina. This latter organization, founded in 1992, has as its main objective to strengthen links between researchers in Latin America working on issues relating to the social aspects of the prevention and mitigation of disasters.

In recent years, the population of the metropolitan area of San Salvador has grown rapidly, in part due to the war in the country which has mainly affected rural dwellers and consequently stimulated urban migration. The lack of urban planning has meant that growth has occurred erratically, resulting in the deterioration of the environment and an increased vulnerability to natural disasters, particularly for the marginalized whose settlements tend to be the most populous and precarious. A weak government has been limited in its ability to put coherent policies in place which can address the problems of unsafe housing and an inadequate provision of basic services, particularly in areas prone to environmental hazards, which seriously affect the quality of life of the people living there. The authors suggest that policies to prevent and mitigate the effects of environmental phenomena in the city are urgently needed and they emphasize the fact that, in San Salvador, the absence of such policies is not only representative of the present government but also of previous governments. The present expansion of the city demands a new approach to tackling environmental problems. The authors recognize that this will not be easy. They recommend an integral approach involving the government, civil society and the communities themselves. Only in this way will those affected by the adverse conditions be able to tackle the existing problems. In its examination of these issues, the book follows four main themes: the relationship between urban expansion, environmental degradation, risks and disasters; the role of the state in relation to this; the role played by civil society; and perception and evaluation of the risks by the communities who are most affected.